While travelling to Pune this week, the bus was mostly empty, unlike, past week, when it was fully packed due to the holiday season ( which peaks in May, and when people travel out of Mumbai to visit their relatives, or go to some hill-station). Since most of the folks, who have gone on vacation, are about to return back to Mumbai, now the traffic is in the reverse direction, i.e. people are travelling back to Mumbai, however this passenger traffic will dwindle too in a month, and I would be able to travel more comfortably.
For the transport companies off-season is a problem, since they have to run empty buses. State Transport corporations, are badly hit by this, since unlike the private transport companies, they cannot easily hire people on contract. This problem, where-in companies need people, when they need to cater to more customers, is universal, and applicable to almost all industries. The current solution is to hire more people, when people are needed. Most companies hire people on contract for short-term, to meet a surge in demand.
There can be another solution to this problem, how about hibernating human-beings. People would hibernate, when not required, and would only rise(awake) from their sleep, when they are needed. These humans, would fill up the gap, when demand rises. Maybe we can create humans, with this specific capability. However this will require advances in medical technology as well as in our society. Are we willing to create such a class of humans ? Considering the greed (i.e. the need to cut cost :-), which has engulfed our generation, I think yes. Since it would also help us improve our life style.
Hibernating humans, has been considered for space travel, wherein, they would go in hibernation, and awake, when they reach their destination. It has also been considered in warfare http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?s=738ede4b5e31e224c3137fda690baf56&showtopic=984&st=0&#entry6442 The above web page has quite a good amount of pointers to human hibernation concept.
Their is a suggestion, that people, who have incurable diseases should go in hibernation, and awake, and check for cure, if cure is not found, go in hibernation again. Imagine what happens if the entire human race keeps doing this stupid thing, and waiting for someone to find a cure for their disease. That doesn't sounds good :-)
